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Technobubble Wrap: Better PC sound, iPhone waterproofing

TECHNOBUBBLE: JOJO'S BIZARRE ADVENTURE ALL STAR BATTLE

Move over, Bizarro. When it comes to being weird, the comic-book villain can't hold a candle to the cast of iconic Japanese manga, "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure." All that strange love is now in full display as fighting game "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure All Star Battle" descends on the PlayStation 3. Read on for the Technobubble take.

Reporter Jason Hidalgo puts on his tight technicolor pants and takes on The World as he reviews "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure All Star Battle" for the PlayStation 3.
Jason Hidalgo/RGJ

The age-old conflict between the Joestar family and villain Dio Brand gets retold once again in video game form via "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure All Star Battle."

For uninitiated folks who only think of a certain clown or scheming simian from the "Powerpuff Girls" when they hear the word "Jojo," "JoJo's Bizarre Adventure" chronicles the tales of a family of manly men whose first and last names start with "Jo." The good news is that developer CyberConnect2 does a stellar job in recreating the world of JoJo in videogame form. From the excellent character models to its flashy presentation, "All Star Battle" looks like a living, breathing rendition of the JoJo comic books and anime cartoons.

Like other 2D-style fighters, you can mix regular punches, kicks and grabs with special attacks that require button combinations. Build your special bar and you also can launch outrageous super attacks that take the adjective "crazy" to even crazier heights.

It's not as technical as Street Fighter and suffers a bit from balance issues. The story mode also feels disjointed and rushed, and the microtransactions in the campaign mode can be annoying.

Overall, though, the game can be a lot of mindless fun for folks not looking for a competition-worthy fighter. And if you're a JoJo fan, well, you'll want to get this game post-haste.

Cost: $50, PS3

http://bit.ly/1uHMT5R

DACMAGIC XS USB DIGITAL-TO-ANALOG CONVERTER

(Photo: Provided by Cambridge Audio)

Music can be a very personal medium, and I'm not just talking about taste — or the lack thereof — in artists. Sometimes, the medium or delivery method also can be a matter of frenzied debate, especially when it comes to digital vs. analog audio.

Although the bulk of audio material these days is stored in digital format, they still need to be converted to an analog signal to feed them through output devices such as speakers. For folks who like listening to audio via their laptop, the computer naturally does all that processing, though more particular audiophiles may want something more. This is where something like the DacMagic XS digital-to-analog converter from Cambridge Audio comes in.

Build construction feels pretty solid for the DacMagic XS thanks to its aluminum casing. Another plus is that it works for both Mac and PC. Once set up properly, the device makes a big difference with audio quality, particularly when using high-quality audio file formats such as WAV. You don't need to have sensitive audiophile ears to hear the difference. Music sounds much clearer with better distinction between the highs, mids and lows. The improvement is especially noticeable with classical music and orchestral ensembles.

If you use your computer heavily for playing music or watching media and want your audio quality kicked up a notch, then this is worth looking into, provided you're OK with the price.

Cost: $190

www.cambridgeaudio.com

OUTDOOR TECH SAFE 5 WATERPROOF IPHONE CASE

(Photo: Provided by Outdoor Tech)

Like Justin Bieber and Venetian plaster, water and electronics typically don't mix. Just ask any poor sap who has accidentally dropped his or her phone in a toilet bowl.

"Baby, baby, baby, oh-no!"

It's no surprise then that some case makers are offering waterproof covers for popular smartphones. One of the more affordable waterproof alternatives you'll see is the Safe 5 from Outdoor Tech.

The case boasts an IPX7 waterproof rating and can withstand an underwater dunking of up to 3 feet or 1 meter for 30 minutes. That isn't quite as deep as some pricier rivals, but should be more than enough to survive an accidental toilet dunking unless you've got, you know, a toilet bowl that's 4 feet deep. It's also one of the easier waterproof cases to install or take off.

Downsides include a plasticky design that will likely look cheap to some folks. The extra protection also adds extra chunk to your iPhone. Still, the device works well overall and the price is hard to beat.